Region of origin is Persian and has been used 2000 years ago. This plant is introduced to the USA and Europe, and throughout the world including Indonesia. All parts of young plant can be utilized, especially the soft leaves and stems can be eaten as a vegetable and salad. Protein content from 2 to 2.5%.
Purslane is the herb plants many contain water, grow upright or part / whole plant at ground level without creeping out the roots of the plants that crawl it. Round stalks with purplish brown color, length can reach 50 cm. This single-leaved plants, thick fleshy, flat surface, spread out or sit face to face, have short stalks. Breech ovate leaf shape, rounded tip curved inward, cuneate at base, flat edge, leaf length between 1-4 cm, width 5-14 mm, armpit hairless leaves. Color upper surface dark green leaves, while beneath the surface of dark red. Flowers is located at the end of branching, a group consisting of 2-6 flowers, leaves his crown number five, has small yellow, begin blooming in the morning between the hours of 08:00 to 11:00, and the flowers started to wilt in the afternoon. The fruit is classified as a box of fruit, seeds which have amounted to a large number of black-brown color is a shiny, propagation through seeds.
Purslane herb sour taste, has the nature antipyretik (fever), analgesic (pain relief), diuretics (urine laxative), anti toksi, sedatives (tranquilizers), lowers blood sugar, anti skorbut (cracked lips due to lack of vitamin C), cardiotonic (strengthens the heart), relieve swelling and blood launched.
Purslane herb contains chemical components that are beneficial to health, detected by 31 chemical components in the plant purslane, one of which is Omega-3 is an important chemical component (essential) and can not be manufactured (synthesized) in the body, but these chemical components can be synthesized by plants, algae and phytoplankton. This component can be obtained from foods derived from plants and animals. In addition to plant P. oleracea, there are some plants that also contain Omega 3 which is Salvia hispanica, Perilla frutescens, Linum usitatissimum, Vaccinium Vitis-idaea and Cannabis sativa. Omega-3 function is essential for human health as nutrition is a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Pharmacological Effects of Omega-3 is to increase endurance, improve intelligence and as an antioxidant that may prevent cancer cell growth.
Purslane plants also efficacious anti-bacterial. From the research results prove that there is Laili Candrawati antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of purslane leaves on the growth of colonies of S. typhi in vitro. It was found the average number of colonies grown on Mueller Hinton media for each concentration of ethanol extract of leaves of purslane 100%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%, respectively, are 60.25, 82.25, 146, 204.25. The results of analysis by ANOVA showed p <0.05, which means there is an average difference between test groups. On LSD test found significant differences between the test solution concentration of ethanol extract of leaves of purslane 100%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%. The higher concentration of leaves of purslane (Portulaca oleracea), then the fewer the number of colonies of S. typhi were grown on Mueller Hinton media.
For the drug (oral), purslane herb widely used as traditional medicine, among others:
for the treatment of dysentery, acute diarrhea, acute inflammation of the appendix (appendicitis acuta), breast inflammation (mastitis), bleeding hemorrhoids (hemorrhoidal bleeding), body aches and pains (Rheumatism), vaginal discharge, urinary system disorders, jaundice ( hepatitis), intestinal worms and shortness of breath used seed / fruit, cold medicine, diabetes, influenza, herpes, liver, gonorrhea, venereal disease, anthrax, tumors, dental pain, stroke and improve intelligence, as a tonic, improving blood circulation, heart booster , bactericide.
For external, fresh herb as a medicine to ulcers, eczema, ulcers, erysipelas, burns, skin diseases, snake and insect bites.